->''"I want my MTV!"'' -->-- '''Music/DireStraits''', "Money For Nothing".[[note]]The phrase originated with an ad campaign designed to get cable providers to carry the network in its infancy, but took off as a MemeticMutation all its own.[[/note]]

->''"Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll."''-->-- The very first lines ever spoken on MTV.

On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 AM, pop culture was changed forever by a new cable network that introduced a brand new idea -- a TV channel that played [[MusicVideoTropes music videos]], 24/7. That network was MTV. Fittingly, the first video they ever showed was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ "Video Killed the Radio Star"]] by Music/TheBuggles. MTV's first 24 hours of programming can be viewed in its entirety [[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55997C15B3769328 here]].

The results were fantastic. In TheEighties, MTV was the iTunes ''and'' Website/YouTube of the day, a revolution in pop culture and how music was enjoyed. Countless bands and artists (Music/{{Madonna}}, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/DuranDuran, Music/RickAstley, and just about every HairMetal band) saw their careers [[ColbertBump launched or furthered]] because of the heavy video rotation of some of their songs. If they were popular in the '80s, they were on MTV. Later in the decade, the network would also receive acclaim for devoting time to bands that played what was then called "[[CollegeRadio college rock]]" (now known as AlternativeRock) on their ''120 Minutes'' series, as well as Music/HeavyMetal on ''Headbanger's Ball'' and [[GenreMotif/HipHop hip-hop/rap]] on ''Yo! MTV Raps''. While image, style and appearance were important parts of the music world long before MTV (just look at Music/DavidBowie, Music/TheBeatles, or even Music/ElvisPresley), the network's rise elevated those things into an art form on par with the music itself.

One unexpected result of MTV's success was the rise of British pop and rock groups in the United States. Music videos had caught on in Britain back in [[TheSeventies the mid '70s]] thanks to shows like ''TopOfThePops'', giving the country a much higher music video output than the US in MTV's formative years. Most American videos in the early '80s, by contrast, were videotaped concert performances. As MTV was desperate for any music videos it could get its hands on, it threw many of those British vids on the air to fill airtime, leading to what has been called a second [[TheBritishInvasion British Invasion]] as bands saw themselves developing [[{{Squee}} screaming]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff American fanbases]] virtually overnight.

Like any new trend in popular culture, it wouldn't be long before MTV was hit with its first criticism. In its early years, it was targeted for not playing many black artists, although that quickly ended once Music/MichaelJackson became a superstar. Later, in 1985, the HardcorePunk band Music/DeadKennedys released their classic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oCPNMZuWwI "MTV Get Off The Air"]], attacking the young network for devaluing the importance of music and for being a corporate shill. From the other direction, MTV's also been a favorite whipping boy for conservative MoralGuardians, who have long felt it to be a den of {{filth}}, dangerous behavior, left-wing activism, and {{political correctness|GoneMad}}. Of course, none of this did anything to hurt the network's popularity -- famously, BillClinton's appearances on MTV provided a huge boost to his youth support during his Presidential campaign in 1992.

In TheNineties, MTV started bringing hip-hop acts into regular rotation, and the {{grunge}} and AlternativeRock that had been popularized on ''120 Minutes'' started displacing HairMetal. Later in the decade, MTV was instrumental in the rise of {{boy band}}s, {{girl group}}s, and {{idol singer}}s like Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/{{TLC}}, Music/DestinysChild, the Music/BackstreetBoys, and Music/{{NSYNC||, which themselves partly displaced rock music. Grunge pressed on into {{post-grunge}}, with Music/{{Nickelback}} and Music/{{Creed}} leading the way, and NuMetal bands like Music/LinkinPark, Music/{{Korn}}, and Music/{{Slipknot}} emerged to bring a harder sound into the mainstream -- and act as [[GatewaySeries Gateway Music]] to a whole generation of metalheads [[OldShame no matter how loath]] [[DeaderThanDisco they are to admit it]]. The music videos became more professional, having evolved from marketing tools to encourage album sales into the main attraction. ''Total Request Live'', or ''TRL'', a program where viewers got to vote for their favorite music videos to air, became a sensation, turning host Carson Daly into a celebrity in his own right. It was with the launch of this show that MTV opened its famous studio in [[BigApplesauce Times Square]].

At the same time, a new focus was placed on pop culture in general rather than just music, following the success of non-music shows like ''TheRealWorld'', ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' and others. MTV still played a lot of music, just not as much as it used to. MTV became home to a variety of offbeat original live-action and animated programs, most notably the anthology program ''WesternAnimation/LiquidTelevision'' that [[MorePopularSpinoff spawned]] a number of MTV's best-remembered non-music programs from the '90s, including ''WesternAnimation/AeonFlux'', ''WesternAnimation/TheHead'', and the aforementioned ''B&B''. Other shows from this era include the SketchComedy show ''TheState'', the BloodyHilarious {{claymation}} show ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'', and the ''B&B'' {{spinoff}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}''.

The TurnOfTheMillennium was when the NetworkDecay that had been setting in at MTV for the last decade really began to take over. Carson Daly's departure from ''TRL'' in 2003 set that show on a slow decline, finally being cancelled in 2008. Non-music-related shows took over the schedule, pushing music videos into the late night and early morning hours. Most importantly, the rise of online sources such as Website/YouTube, iTunes, and now MTV's own [[http://mtvmusic.com MTV Music]] meant that people no longer needed to watch MTV to get their music video fix, which led to MTV diverting even more hours away from music programming. Today, MTV only plays three hours of music a day, most of it in the early morning hours, and despite music videos being the first to film consistently in the format, they didn't even air any videos in HighDefinition across any Viacom network until '''August 2012''', long after Fuse had converted to HD. The kids of the "MTV Generation" are in their thirties and forties and having kids of their own, and the network's popularity has faded a great deal since the GloryDays of the '80s and '90s (though hit reality shows and scripted series have kept it relevant). But to deny that MTV has, for better or worse, fundamentally shaped popular culture into what it is now would be impossible.

In 2010, the network officially announced the decision it was dropping the "Music Television" subtitle, which was a surprise to only their [[CaptainObvious legal department]] and nobody else.

MTV has other sister networks. These include (for the US at least)* [=MTV2=]: Initially focused on music videos, then on AlternativeRock and HipHop and is now, [[NetworkDecay unfortunately]], [[IncrediblyLamePun MTV, too]] with a [[AdoredByTheNetwork incredible overreliance]] on reruns of ''Series/{{Martin}}''. Out of the two main networks, its still your best best to find music videos, although often shoved in weird hours. For instance, the revived ''120 Minutes'' was briefly given a cushy late primetime slot before it was shoved right back into the same slot at OtakuOClock that both the original ''120'' and its sister show ''Subterranean'' inhabited for years. * MTV Hits: A music video channel that still, you know, actually ''shows'' music videos exclusively. It mostly features pop artists.* [=MTVu=]: Another music video channel that actually shows just music videos. This one showcases indie rock, pop punk and hip-hop and is usually seen on college campuses (with a few cable homes here and there).* MTV Jams: Same as Hits and U, but focusing on hip hop music* Tr3s: An MTV spinoff focusing on Latino culture.* MTV Palladia: An HD channel providing high quality music content.* {{VH-1}}: Initially focused on older adults, then as a more video-oriented MTV, then lastly as [[NetworkDecay a home for slightly less shallow reality shows]] and [[ILoveTheExties nostalgia programming]].** {{VH-1}} Classic: Focused on older music (and occasionally new music from classic artists), and still shows a large amount of music videos. Almost insanely devoted to music and seems to be fighting NetworkDecay to the death.** {{VH-1}} Soul: A channel mostly devoted to soul, R&B and funk music.* CMT: Acquired from Creator/{{CBS}}, initially a country music only network, it has [[NetworkDecay since added such "country themed" programming]] as ''Series/ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition'' and ''Series/AreYouSmarterThanAFifthGrader''.** CMT Pure Country: Essentially what CMT was circa 1994.* Creator/ComedyCentral* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}* SpikeTV: Was the Nashville Network when CBS acquired it, changed over to Spike TV in 2004 after a lawsuit involving Creator/SpikeLee was settled.* TV Land----

->''"I want my MTV!"'' -->-- '''Music/DireStraits''', "Money For Nothing".[[note]]The phrase originated with an ad campaign designed to get cable providers to carry the network in its infancy, but took off as a MemeticMutation all its own.[[/note]]

->''"Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll."''-->-- The very first lines ever spoken on MTV.

On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 AM, pop culture was changed forever by a new cable network that introduced a brand new idea -- a TV channel that played [[MusicVideoTropes music videos]], 24/7. That network was MTV. Fittingly, the first video they ever showed was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ "Video Killed the Radio Star"]] by Music/TheBuggles. MTV's first 24 hours of programming can be viewed in its entirety [[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55997C15B3769328 here]].

The results were fantastic. In TheEighties, MTV was the iTunes ''and'' Website/YouTube of the day, a revolution in pop culture and how music was enjoyed. Countless bands and artists (Music/{{Madonna}}, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/DuranDuran, Music/RickAstley, and just about every HairMetal band) saw their careers [[ColbertBump launched or furthered]] because of the heavy video rotation of some of their songs. If they were popular in the '80s, they were on MTV. Later in the decade, the network would also receive acclaim for devoting time to bands that played what was then called "[[CollegeRadio college rock]]" (now known as AlternativeRock) on their ''120 Minutes'' series, as well as Music/HeavyMetal on ''Headbanger's Ball'' and [[GenreMotif/HipHop hip-hop/rap]] on ''Yo! MTV Raps''. While image, style and appearance were important parts of the music world long before MTV (just look at Music/DavidBowie, Music/TheBeatles, or even Music/ElvisPresley), the network's rise elevated those things into an art form on par with the music itself.

One unexpected result of MTV's success was the rise of British pop and rock groups in the United States. Music videos had caught on in Britain back in [[TheSeventies the mid '70s]] thanks to shows like ''TopOfThePops'', giving the country a much higher music video output than the US in MTV's formative years. Most American videos in the early '80s, by contrast, were videotaped concert performances. As MTV was desperate for any music videos it could get its hands on, it threw many of those British vids on the air to fill airtime, leading to what has been called a second [[TheBritishInvasion British Invasion]] as bands saw themselves developing [[{{Squee}} screaming]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff American fanbases]] virtually overnight.

Like any new trend in popular culture, it wouldn't be long before MTV was hit with its first criticism. In its early years, it was targeted for not playing many black artists, although that quickly ended once Music/MichaelJackson became a superstar. Later, in 1985, the HardcorePunk band Music/DeadKennedys released their classic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oCPNMZuWwI "MTV Get Off The Air"]], attacking the young network for devaluing the importance of music and for being a corporate shill. From the other direction, MTV's also been a favorite whipping boy for conservative MoralGuardians, who have long felt it to be a den of {{filth}}, dangerous behavior, left-wing activism, and {{political correctness|GoneMad}}. Of course, none of this did anything to hurt the network's popularity -- famously, BillClinton's appearances on MTV provided a huge boost to his youth support during his Presidential campaign in 1992.

In TheNineties, MTV started bringing hip-hop acts into regular rotation, and the {{grunge}} and AlternativeRock that had been popularized on ''120 Minutes'' started displacing HairMetal. Later in the decade, MTV was instrumental in the rise of {{boy band}}s, {{girl group}}s, and {{idol singer}}s like Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/{{TLC}}, Music/DestinysChild, the Music/BackstreetBoys, and Music/{{NSYNC||, which themselves partly displaced rock music. Grunge pressed on into {{post-grunge}}, with Music/{{Nickelback}} and Music/{{Creed}} leading the way, and NuMetal bands like Music/LinkinPark, Music/{{Korn}}, and Music/{{Slipknot}} emerged to bring a harder sound into the mainstream -- and act as [[GatewaySeries Gateway Music]] to a whole generation of metalheads [[OldShame no matter how loath]] [[DeaderThanDisco they are to admit it]]. The music videos became more professional, having evolved from marketing tools to encourage album sales into the main attraction. ''Total Request Live'', or ''TRL'', a program where viewers got to vote for their favorite music videos to air, became a sensation, turning host Carson Daly into a celebrity in his own right. It was with the launch of this show that MTV opened its famous studio in [[BigApplesauce Times Square]].

At the same time, a new focus was placed on pop culture in general rather than just music, following the success of non-music shows like ''TheRealWorld'', ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' and others. MTV still played a lot of music, just not as much as it used to. MTV became home to a variety of offbeat original live-action and animated programs, most notably the anthology program ''WesternAnimation/LiquidTelevision'' that [[MorePopularSpinoff spawned]] a number of MTV's best-remembered non-music programs from the '90s, including ''WesternAnimation/AeonFlux'', ''WesternAnimation/TheHead'', and the aforementioned ''B&B''. Other shows from this era include the SketchComedy show ''TheState'', the BloodyHilarious {{claymation}} show ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'', and the ''B&B'' {{spinoff}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}''.

The TurnOfTheMillennium was when the NetworkDecay that had been setting in at MTV for the last decade really began to take over. Carson Daly's departure from ''TRL'' in 2003 set that show on a slow decline, finally being cancelled in 2008. Non-music-related shows took over the schedule, pushing music videos into the late night and early morning hours. Most importantly, the rise of online sources such as Website/YouTube, iTunes, and now MTV's own [[http://mtvmusic.com MTV Music]] meant that people no longer needed to watch MTV to get their music video fix, which led to MTV diverting even more hours away from music programming. Today, MTV only plays three hours of music a day, most of it in the early morning hours, and despite music videos being the first to film consistently in the format, they didn't even air any videos in HighDefinition across any Viacom network until '''August 2012''', long after Fuse had converted to HD. The kids of the "MTV Generation" are in their thirties and forties and having kids of their own, and the network's popularity has faded a great deal since the GloryDays of the '80s and '90s (though hit reality shows and scripted series have kept it relevant). But to deny that MTV has, for better or worse, fundamentally shaped popular culture into what it is now would be impossible.

In 2010, the network officially announced the decision it was dropping the "Music Television" subtitle, which was a surprise to only their [[CaptainObvious legal department]] and nobody else.

MTV has other sister networks. These include (for the US at least)* [=MTV2=]: Initially focused on music videos, then on AlternativeRock and HipHop and is now, [[NetworkDecay unfortunately]], [[IncrediblyLamePun MTV, too]] with a [[AdoredByTheNetwork incredible overreliance]] on reruns of ''Series/{{Martin}}''. Out of the two main networks, its still your best best to find music videos, although often shoved in weird hours. For instance, the revived ''120 Minutes'' was briefly given a cushy late primetime slot before it was shoved right back into the same slot at OtakuOClock that both the original ''120'' and its sister show ''Subterranean'' inhabited for years. * MTV Hits: A music video channel that still, you know, actually ''shows'' music videos exclusively. It mostly features pop artists.* [=MTVu=]: Another music video channel that actually shows just music videos. This one showcases indie rock, pop punk and hip-hop and is usually seen on college campuses (with a few cable homes here and there).* MTV Jams: Same as Hits and U, but focusing on hip hop music* Tr3s: An MTV spinoff focusing on Latino culture.* MTV Palladia: An HD channel providing high quality music content.* {{VH-1}}: Initially focused on older adults, then as a more video-oriented MTV, then lastly as [[NetworkDecay a home for slightly less shallow reality shows]] and [[ILoveTheExties nostalgia programming]].** {{VH-1}} Classic: Focused on older music (and occasionally new music from classic artists), and still shows a large amount of music videos. Almost insanely devoted to music and seems to be fighting NetworkDecay to the death.** {{VH-1}} Soul: A channel mostly devoted to soul, R&B and funk music.* CMT: Acquired from Creator/{{CBS}}, initially a country music only network, it has [[NetworkDecay since added such "country themed" programming]] as ''Series/ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition'' and ''Series/AreYouSmarterThanAFifthGrader''.** CMT Pure Country: Essentially what CMT was circa 1994.* Creator/ComedyCentral* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}* SpikeTV: Was the Nashville Network when CBS acquired it, changed over to Spike TV in 2004 after a lawsuit involving Creator/SpikeLee was settled.* TV Land----[[redirect:Creator/{{MTV}}]]

In TheNineties, MTV started bringing hip-hop acts into regular rotation, and the {{grunge}} and AlternativeRock that had been popularized on ''120 Minutes'' started displacing HairMetal. Later in the decade, MTV was instrumental in the rise of {{boy band}}s, {{girl group}}s, and {{idol singer}}s like Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/{{TLC}}, Music/DestinysChild, the Music/BackstreetBoys, and Music/{{NSYNC||, which themselves partly displaced rock music. Grunge pressed on into {{post-grunge}}, with Music/{{Nickelback}} and Music/{{Creed}} leading the way, and {{nu-metal}} bands like Music/LinkinPark, Music/{{Korn}}, and Music/{{Slipknot}} emerged to bring a harder sound into the mainstream -- and act as [[GatewaySeries Gateway Music]] to a whole generation of metalheads [[OldShame no matter how loath]] [[DeaderThanDisco they are to admit it]]. The music videos became more professional, having evolved from marketing tools to encourage album sales into the main attraction. ''Total Request Live'', or ''TRL'', a program where viewers got to vote for their favorite music videos to air, became a sensation, turning host Carson Daly into a celebrity in his own right. It was with the launch of this show that MTV opened its famous studio in [[BigApplesauce Times Square]].

to:

In TheNineties, MTV started bringing hip-hop acts into regular rotation, and the {{grunge}} and AlternativeRock that had been popularized on ''120 Minutes'' started displacing HairMetal. Later in the decade, MTV was instrumental in the rise of {{boy band}}s, {{girl group}}s, and {{idol singer}}s like Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/{{TLC}}, Music/DestinysChild, the Music/BackstreetBoys, and Music/{{NSYNC||, which themselves partly displaced rock music. Grunge pressed on into {{post-grunge}}, with Music/{{Nickelback}} and Music/{{Creed}} leading the way, and {{nu-metal}} NuMetal bands like Music/LinkinPark, Music/{{Korn}}, and Music/{{Slipknot}} emerged to bring a harder sound into the mainstream -- and act as [[GatewaySeries Gateway Music]] to a whole generation of metalheads [[OldShame no matter how loath]] [[DeaderThanDisco they are to admit it]]. The music videos became more professional, having evolved from marketing tools to encourage album sales into the main attraction. ''Total Request Live'', or ''TRL'', a program where viewers got to vote for their favorite music videos to air, became a sensation, turning host Carson Daly into a celebrity in his own right. It was with the launch of this show that MTV opened its famous studio in [[BigApplesauce Times Square]].

Fortunately, a ray of hope may be shining onto the fallen network, as they're not only bringing back ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' after nearly thirteen years, but the duo's music video commentary (one of the show's staples from the very beginning) would still stick around. In fact, [[http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/they_re_back_PZVN8lcKHQYVIYx3xAJRtM?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME= according to the New York Post]], the freshly {{uncancelled}} show "will be a backdoor means for MTV to return to showing music videos". A few months later in July 2011, ''120 Minutes'' returned on [=MTV2=] with Matt Pinfield (the host of the program during the mid 90's) back as host, regular music performances and a focus on current indie rock artists. In addition, at least in the UK, MTV have a new channel specifically geared towards music. The name? [[DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment MTV Music]].

to:

Fortunately, a ray of hope may be shining onto the fallen network, as they're not only bringing back ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' after nearly thirteen years, but the duo's music video commentary (one of the show's staples from the very beginning) would still stick around. In fact, [[http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/they_re_back_PZVN8lcKHQYVIYx3xAJRtM?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME= according to the New York Post]], the freshly {{uncancelled}} show "will be a backdoor means for MTV to return to showing music videos". A few months later in July 2011, ''120 Minutes'' returned on [=MTV2=] with Matt Pinfield (the host of the program during the mid 90's) back as host, regular music performances and a focus on current indie rock artists. In addition, at least in the UK, MTV have a new channel specifically geared towards music. The name? [[DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment MTV Music]].

The results were fantastic. In TheEighties, MTV was the iTunes ''and'' Website/YouTube of the day, a revolution in pop culture and how music was enjoyed. Countless bands and artists (Music/{{Madonna}}, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/DuranDuran, Music/RickAstley, and just about every HairMetal band) saw their careers [[ColbertBump launched or furthered]] because of the heavy video rotation of some of their songs. If they were popular in the '80s, they were on MTV. Later in the decade, the network would also receive acclaim for devoting time to bands that played what was then called "[[CollegeRadio college rock]]" (now known as AlternativeRock) on their ''120 Minutes'' series, as well as Music/HeavyMetal on ''Headbanger's Ball'' and [[GenreMotif/HipHop hip-hop/rap]] on ''Yo! MTV Raps''. While image, style and appearance were important parts of the music world long before MTV (just look at Music/DavidBowie, Music/TheBeatles or even Music/ElvisPresley), the network's rise elevated those things into an art form on par with the music itself.

to:

The results were fantastic. In TheEighties, MTV was the iTunes ''and'' Website/YouTube of the day, a revolution in pop culture and how music was enjoyed. Countless bands and artists (Music/{{Madonna}}, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/DuranDuran, Music/RickAstley, and just about every HairMetal band) saw their careers [[ColbertBump launched or furthered]] because of the heavy video rotation of some of their songs. If they were popular in the '80s, they were on MTV. Later in the decade, the network would also receive acclaim for devoting time to bands that played what was then called "[[CollegeRadio college rock]]" (now known as AlternativeRock) on their ''120 Minutes'' series, as well as Music/HeavyMetal on ''Headbanger's Ball'' and [[GenreMotif/HipHop hip-hop/rap]] on ''Yo! MTV Raps''. While image, style and appearance were important parts of the music world long before MTV (just look at Music/DavidBowie, Music/TheBeatles Music/TheBeatles, or even Music/ElvisPresley), the network's rise elevated those things into an art form on par with the music itself.

Like any new trend in popular culture, it wouldn't be long before MTV was hit with its first criticism. In its early years, it was targeted for not playing many black artists, although that quickly ended once Music/MichaelJackson became a superstar. Later, in 1985, the HardcorePunk band Music/DeadKennedys released their classic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oCPNMZuWwI "MTV Get Off The Air"]], attacking the young network for devaluing the importance of music and for being a corporate shill. MTV's also been a favorite whipping boy for conservative MoralGuardians, who have long felt it to be a den of {{filth}}, dangerous behavior, left-wing activism and {{political correctness|GoneMad}}. Of course, none of this did anything to hurt the network's popularity -- famously, BillClinton's appearances on MTV provided a huge boost to his youth support during his Presidential campaign in 1992.

In TheNineties, MTV started bringing hip-hop acts into regular rotation, and the {{grunge}} and AlternativeRock that had been popularized on ''120 Minutes'' started displacing HairMetal. Later in the decade, MTV was instrumental in the rise of {{boy band}}s, {{girl group}}s and {{idol singer}}s like Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/{{TLC}}, Music/DestinysChild, the Music/BackstreetBoys and 'NSync, which themselves partly displaced rock music. Grunge pressed on into {{post-grunge}}, with Music/{{Nickelback}} and Music/{{Creed}} leading the way, and {{nu-metal}} bands like Music/LinkinPark, Music/{{Korn}} and Music/{{Slipknot}} emerged to bring a harder sound into the mainstream -- and act as [[GatewaySeries Gateway Music]] to a whole generation of metalheads [[OldShame no matter how loath]] [[DeaderThanDisco they are to admit it]]. The music videos became more professional, having evolved from marketing tools to encourage album sales into the main attraction. ''Total Request Live'', or ''TRL'', a program where viewers got to vote for their favorite music videos to air, became a sensation, turning host Carson Daly into a celebrity in his own right. It was with the launch of this show that MTV opened its famous studio in [[BigApplesauce Times Square]].

At the same time, a new focus was placed on pop culture in general rather than just music, following the success of non-music shows like ''TheRealWorld'', ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' and others. MTV still played a lot of music, just not as much as it used to. MTV became home to a variety of offbeat original live-action and animated programs, most notably the anthology program ''WesternAnimation/LiquidTelevision'' that [[MorePopularSpinoff spawned]] a number of MTV's best-remembered non-music programs from the '90s, including ''WesternAnimation/AeonFlux'', ''WesternAnimation/TheHead'' and the aforementioned ''B&B''. Other shows from this era include the SketchComedy show ''TheState'', the BloodyHilarious {{claymation}} show ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'', and the ''B&B'' {{spinoff}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}''.

The TurnOfTheMillennium was when the NetworkDecay that had been setting in at MTV for the last decade really began to take over. Carson Daly's departure from ''TRL'' in 2003 set that show on a slow decline, finally being cancelled in 2008. Non-music-related shows took over the schedule, pushing music videos into the late night and early morning hours. Most importantly, the rise of online sources such as Website/YouTube, iTunes, and now MTV's own [[http://mtvmusic.com MTV Music]] meant that people no longer needed to watch MTV to get their music video fix, which led to MTV diverting even more hours away from music programming. Today, MTV only plays three hours of music a day (most of it in the early morning hours, and despite music videos being the first to film consistently in the format, didn't even air any videos HighDefinition across any Viacom network until '''August 2012''', long after Fuse had converted to HD), the kids of the "MTV Generation" are in their thirties and forties and having kids of their own, and the network's popularity has faded a great deal since the GloryDays of the '80s and '90s (almost to the point where it can be called DeaderThanDisco, although hit reality shows like ''TheHills'' and ''Series/JerseyShore'' have kept it relevant). But to deny that MTV has, for better or worse, fundamentally shaped popular culture into what it is now would be impossible.

to:

Like any new trend in popular culture, it wouldn't be long before MTV was hit with its first criticism. In its early years, it was targeted for not playing many black artists, although that quickly ended once Music/MichaelJackson became a superstar. Later, in 1985, the HardcorePunk band Music/DeadKennedys released their classic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oCPNMZuWwI "MTV Get Off The Air"]], attacking the young network for devaluing the importance of music and for being a corporate shill. From the other direction, MTV's also been a favorite whipping boy for conservative MoralGuardians, who have long felt it to be a den of {{filth}}, dangerous behavior, left-wing activism activism, and {{political correctness|GoneMad}}. Of course, none of this did anything to hurt the network's popularity -- famously, BillClinton's appearances on MTV provided a huge boost to his youth support during his Presidential campaign in 1992.

In TheNineties, MTV started bringing hip-hop acts into regular rotation, and the {{grunge}} and AlternativeRock that had been popularized on ''120 Minutes'' started displacing HairMetal. Later in the decade, MTV was instrumental in the rise of {{boy band}}s, {{girl group}}s group}}s, and {{idol singer}}s like Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/{{TLC}}, Music/DestinysChild, the Music/BackstreetBoys Music/BackstreetBoys, and 'NSync, Music/{{NSYNC||, which themselves partly displaced rock music. Grunge pressed on into {{post-grunge}}, with Music/{{Nickelback}} and Music/{{Creed}} leading the way, and {{nu-metal}} bands like Music/LinkinPark, Music/{{Korn}} Music/{{Korn}}, and Music/{{Slipknot}} emerged to bring a harder sound into the mainstream -- and act as [[GatewaySeries Gateway Music]] to a whole generation of metalheads [[OldShame no matter how loath]] [[DeaderThanDisco they are to admit it]]. The music videos became more professional, having evolved from marketing tools to encourage album sales into the main attraction. ''Total Request Live'', or ''TRL'', a program where viewers got to vote for their favorite music videos to air, became a sensation, turning host Carson Daly into a celebrity in his own right. It was with the launch of this show that MTV opened its famous studio in [[BigApplesauce Times Square]].

At the same time, a new focus was placed on pop culture in general rather than just music, following the success of non-music shows like ''TheRealWorld'', ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' and others. MTV still played a lot of music, just not as much as it used to. MTV became home to a variety of offbeat original live-action and animated programs, most notably the anthology program ''WesternAnimation/LiquidTelevision'' that [[MorePopularSpinoff spawned]] a number of MTV's best-remembered non-music programs from the '90s, including ''WesternAnimation/AeonFlux'', ''WesternAnimation/TheHead'' ''WesternAnimation/TheHead'', and the aforementioned ''B&B''. Other shows from this era include the SketchComedy show ''TheState'', the BloodyHilarious {{claymation}} show ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'', and the ''B&B'' {{spinoff}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}''.

The TurnOfTheMillennium was when the NetworkDecay that had been setting in at MTV for the last decade really began to take over. Carson Daly's departure from ''TRL'' in 2003 set that show on a slow decline, finally being cancelled in 2008. Non-music-related shows took over the schedule, pushing music videos into the late night and early morning hours. Most importantly, the rise of online sources such as Website/YouTube, iTunes, and now MTV's own [[http://mtvmusic.com MTV Music]] meant that people no longer needed to watch MTV to get their music video fix, which led to MTV diverting even more hours away from music programming. Today, MTV only plays three hours of music a day (most day, most of it in the early morning hours, and despite music videos being the first to film consistently in the format, they didn't even air any videos in HighDefinition across any Viacom network until '''August 2012''', long after Fuse had converted to HD), the HD. The kids of the "MTV Generation" are in their thirties and forties and having kids of their own, and the network's popularity has faded a great deal since the GloryDays of the '80s and '90s (almost to the point where it can be called DeaderThanDisco, although (though hit reality shows like ''TheHills'' and ''Series/JerseyShore'' scripted series have kept it relevant). But to deny that MTV has, for better or worse, fundamentally shaped popular culture into what it is now would be impossible.

On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 AM, pop culture was changed forever by a new cable network that introduced a brand new idea -- a TV channel that played [[MusicVideoTropes music videos]], 24/7. That network was MTV. Fittingly, the first video they ever showed was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.

to:

On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 AM, pop culture was changed forever by a new cable network that introduced a brand new idea -- a TV channel that played [[MusicVideoTropes music videos]], 24/7. That network was MTV. Fittingly, the first video they ever showed was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ "Video Killed the Radio Star" Star"]] by The Buggles.Music/TheBuggles. MTV's first 24 hours of programming can be viewed in its entirety [[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55997C15B3769328 here]].

Community

Tropes HQ

TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Privacy Policy